I am taking part in this exhibition of paintings, prints & 3 dimensional work along with other Mid Wales arts at the MWAC

Tuesday October 3 – Thursday November 30 2017 at the Wyeside Arts Centre. In this exhibition my main inspiration has been from observations travelling around mid–Wales. I wanted to capture the fleeting moments of the different colours, forms, textures and sounds in a variety of ways. For example, I visited the Elan Valley regularly over a nineteen month period, and made other trips from home to Pontrobert and over the mountain road to Machynlleth on a weekly basis over a shorter period of time, recording in a notebook what I felt and saw; I then used this to develop my artworks, including incorporating text into them, in my studio later – hence the title of my show ‘Outside In’.

After joining the Arwystli artists group, I was inspired to use photography, as well as my usual note-taking, out in the field, and to see what developed later; not knowing where this would lead to encouraged me to try a different way of working. Two of the group’s trips were to the mid–Wales historic mining sites at Cymystwyth and Bryn Tail, and I also made a solo trip to the Silver Mountain mine at Ponterwyd. Contemplating these experiences, I experimented with materials indoors, which freed me from the traditional approach of picture-making outdoors.

In this exhibition my main inspiration has been from observations travelling around mid–Wales. I wanted to capture the fleeting moments of the different colours, forms, textures and sounds in a variety of ways. For example, I visited the Elan Valley regularly over a nineteen month period, and made other trips from home to Pontrobert and over the mountain road to Machynlleth on a weekly basis over a shorter period of time, recording in a notebook what I felt and saw; I then used this to develop my artworks, including incorporating text into them, in my studio later – hence the title of my show ‘Outside In’.

‘My Musings’

‘MY MUSINGS’ are on show in the “Voices” section of an exhibition called ‘Showtime’

These notes were made when I went on a day-long ‘walking writing workshop’ organised by Oriel Davies, as a new way to find inspiration for my artworks; the workshop, run by writer / poet Chris Kinsey, took place in an ancient semi-natural woodland near Presteigne, owned by the Sidney Nolan Trust.

‘Side by Side’

Two of my free-standing drawings (described as ‘columns’) have been selected by renowned artist and sculptor Stephen West to be included in this show. My drawings, titled ‘DRAWN TOGETHER – found nest & fallen oak’ and ‘That’s the order of things – SEEDS’ feature a full-size foxglove plant, dandelion seeds, ivy, and the hint of an oak tree!

Details of ‘That’s the order of things – SEEDS’ are shown below.

‘Fascinating Fossils & Co.’

‘Fascinating Fossils & Co.’ is an exhibition of my paintings and 3D drawings inspired by Radnorshire Museum’s fossil collection and other natural objects. The exhibition runs from 24 May until 23 July, and is part of Powys Arts Month : a cultural celebration of visual and performing arts in Powys. More details are on the Powys Arts Month website.

My first ‘Artist in Residence’ day in the museum, on Wednesday 28 May went well, so I will be doing it again on Thursday 26 June, 10am-4pm – another opportunity during the show to meet me at work in the museum.

‘Abstract Aspects’

An exhibition of my mixed-media paintings and printed greetings cards are on show
in the friendly atmosphere of the Art Café.
Opening hours Mon – Fri 10.30am – 4pm. Everybody welcome!
25% of sales will go to Mid Powys Mind.

‘Postcard Portraits’

I am participating in a special fundraising exhibition at Nature in Art, the International Centre of Wildlife Art, Gloucestershire, where amongst other artworks by many artists, my ‘Sea Lily’ fossil drawing is on show.
May 2013 marks the 25th. anniversary since Nature in Art opened its doors to the public.

Above Beneath Beyond

This is a joint exhibition by myself and two artist friends, Kate Hammersley and Kathleen Packwood; we will each be spending some time at the venue as Artist in Residence.

This exhibition is an opportunity to see new work by three artists whose experience of living in rural Britain informs their art practice. Here landscape and the ‘natural’ world are perceived intuitively through an eclectic use of media, including textiles, drawing, printmaking, painting and sculpture. The artists push the boundaries of their chosen disciplines through an innovative use of found and reclaimed materials combined with traditional techniques. Chance, the fleeting moment and the exploration of scale are all recurring themes in their work.

Kate Hammersley works primarily in drawing and sculpture, constructing spaces and personal landscapes. She takes her inspiration from fleeting and transitory moments such as a lightning strike, a word or phrase spoken in passing or the migration of an animal and seeks to make these moments into concrete experiences.

Kathleen Packwood is a print-maker and mixed media artist who explores landscape and allows chance and randomness to coincide with ideas which emerge during the working process. She aims to reflect on nature rather than replicate the scene – creating a dialogue between direct experience, inner feeling and memory.

Sue Purcell is a painter and textile artist inspired by underwater environments and aerial landscape perspectives. She examines nature on a micro and macro level, and continuously explores ways of expressing her response, in this ever changing world.

The artist in residency dates are as follows :

16–22 Aug : Kate Hammersley

27–30 Aug : Sue Purcell

Dates t.b.c. : Kathy Packwood

Here is an opportunity to meet the artists and see them at work in a beautiful location. Twigworth is on the A38 a few miles north of Gloucester. Please see Nature in Art’s website for more information about the venue.

The Centre of Cultural and Creative Excellence
Carmarthen (map)
from June 2009

I am exhibiting some of my more traditional paintings in acrylic on hand made paper. They can be seen on the ground floor in the hall between the reception area and the Arts Care offices.

These paintings depict decorative fans and are not representative of my current work, but nevertheless are still part of my portfolio. The hand-made paper was made near Hay-on-Wye by Maureen Richardson.

This is a new exhibition space being used to showcase work by artists who are registered with Arts Care, changing every three months.